The Chronicle
By Emmanuel Ndlovu
25 July 2012
THE concurrent commissioning of the Landa John Nkomo High School and the e-Learning Centre in Manqe, Tsholotsho area, was a momentous achievement that has to be applauded. It shows that our leaders are truly committed to taking the computerisation programme to greater heights.
The occasion, which was graced by President Mugabe, senior Government officials, mandarins from the education sector and traditional leaders was punctuated by ululations and whistles from the jovial crowd of about 10 000. This was a rare occasion indeed because it was aimed at introducing Tsholotsho people to the global village. The President also donated 15 HP computers, three printers and 50 blank DVDs.
The launch of e-Learning centres in Zimbabwe is a major step by the Government towards the closure of the digital divide between urban dwellers and rural communities. This move reminds me of an article I wrote on how ICTs can facilitate development in rural communities. In that piece I strongly argued that ICTs can play a pivotal role in the inclusion of rural communities as grounds for investment since it is not only restricted to urban centres.
I love writing about development and issues to do with ICTs especially in this modern era where the world is fast shrinking into a global village. The concept of a global village posits that due to the advent of internet, societies who were traditionally far away from each other have become so close in communication and information sharing just like in a literal village. In as much as the Government can launch as many e-Learning centres as it can, it should be noted that the success of these projects demands more investment especially in capacitating teachers with computer skills and improving infrastructure such as rural electrification and poor telephone networks, among others.
Information and Communication Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa told the Tsholotsho crowd that his ministry was working on digitalising the whole Zimbabwean nation by 2015 so as to ensure that citizens are turned into global citizens.
“It is part of our agenda to digitalise the whole nation by 2015, we want to have digital and global citizens.
“We will force even those who do not want to be connected to be, because connectivity is the future. Without existence on the internet you are non-existent,” Minister Chamisa said.
He also said that his ministry would put extra effort in ensuring that the digital divide between the urban dwellers and rural people was bridged.
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart revealed that in line with the computerisation programme under way in the country, the respective ministry aimed at establishing more e-Learning projects to about 40 schools this year.
Therefore, this surely calls for co-operation across all Government ministries, especially the Ministry of Finance, because extra funds will be needed for this pilot project to be accomplished successfully.
However, the spreading of e-Learning programmes all over the country will be futile if the majority of teachers who are currently computer illiterate are left in their appalling state. This is just like expecting a church to spread the gospel of Christ all over the world with preachers who can hardly locate where the book of Matthew is in the Bible. This simple instance may sound derogatory to teachers but it is true in terms of their computer incompetence.
The majority of teachers in Zimbabwe can hardly switch a computer on, let alone type a sentence. This is a saddening situation which has to be addressed by the Government as a matter of urgency especially in this time when it is planning to launch more e-Learning projects in schools. Otherwise, if not dealt with, it will act as a major barrier to the full implementation of this programme.
It is my view that before proceeding further in establishing as many e-Learning centres as possible in schools, the Government has to first embark on a computer training programme aimed at equipping teachers countrywide with skills for operating computers and other technological devices. Teachers should be trained because they are the key
implementers of e-Learning education in schools. Outsiders should not be allowed to undertake this mammoth task of imparting computer skills to pupils because we have teachers who can do it. I think confusion may erupt if this responsibility is left in the hands of individuals who are not qualified teachers. However, if left in the hands of teachers it may also help in improving teaching methods among our teachers due to advantages that ICTs bring to the learning environment.
Therefore, the culture of e-Learning has to start with teachers who are educators. If teachers are fully equipped with necessary technological skills including computer literacy, then we can safely talk of establishing many more e-Learning centres around the country. We will be guaranteed of great improvements in the quality of education due to the technological competency of our teachers.
E-Learning involves the use of internet to enable people to learn anytime and anywhere. It also demands a wide array of technological skills for one to exploit it effectively. The advantage of e-learning is that it enables participants to fit in the global economy and be up to date with current information just like in the advanced countries.
The greatest advantage of e-Learning centres in communities is that they enhance the value of education among people. People, especially youths, begin to realise the importance of education as a source of a brighter future. Hence one young poet entertaining the Tsholotsho crowd said to school pupils and I quote:Â “If you do not work hard at school, you will work hard at work”.
Besides imparting to teachers necessary technological skills for facilitating the computerisation programme, Government has to also invest immensely in improving infrastructure and power supply. This, just like the computer illiteracy bedevilling most teachers, can thwart efforts of fully implementing the e-Learning programme in schools.